Eric, Steve, Dan, Shayne, and Steve worked on the deck this weekend and they got so much accomplished!
It almost looks like a deck now. :)
The weather was what the boys called, ‘Deck Building Weather’. Sunny and just warm enough to be comfortable.
The workstation Eric set up…heh
View from other end:
This is the view from our back door:
Our old deck didn’t extend this far, but we thought it would be really nice to walk straight out onto the deck so we extended the deck about 7 feet or so. I’m very happy about this extension because it will be much easier for me to carry my camera and food to the deck!
If you recall, it used to look like this…
On Sunday night, I treated Eric to a fancy smancy dinner as a thank you for all his hard work- Vegan Yum Yum’s Tomato Basil Cream Pasta dish that I have been meaning to try for a while now. This dish tastes so much like a traditional cream pasta, you could fool even the toughest critic!
Easy Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Yield
2-3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is one of the best creamy pasta sauces I have ever tasted, vegan or otherwise. It is right up there with 15 minute Creamy Avocado Pasta! This was also one of those moments when Eric and I looked at each other and said, ‘Can you believe this is vegan?’ I find that cashew cream sauces can be a bit bland, but this one was fantastic (probably due to the basil, tomato, and garlic trio adding so much flavour). Lightly adapted from Vegan Yum Yum.
Ingredients
- 2 servings uncooked spaghetti (I used Kamut)
- 1 large ripe tomato or two smaller tomatoes
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3)
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 3-4 tbsp water or wine, (optional)
- 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Chop tomato and add it to the blender (including skin and seeds). Now add the cashews, water, and tomato paste. Blend until smooth.
- Add your pasta to boiling water and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to low. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes being careful not to burn it.
- Pour the sauce from the blender into the skillet, stir, and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and let it cook for 4-5 minutes, watching closely. You may add water or wine to thin out the sauce to you desired consistency, but this is not necessary.
- Remove sauce from heat and stir in the chopped basil and pepper. Once the pasta is done cooking, rinse and drain it. Add the drained pasta back in the pot and now gradually add pasta sauce until your desired amount is achieved. Stir and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings, likely with sauce leftover.
I love making pasta sauces because with just a few ingredients you can create something that tastes so gourmet and special.
And this was one of the best creamy pasta sauces I have ever tasted, vegan or otherwise. It is right up there with 15 minute Creamy Avocado Pasta!
This was also one of those moments when Eric and I looked at each other and said, ‘Can you believe this is vegan?’ I find that cashew cream sauces can be a bit bland, but this one was fantastic (probably due to the basil, tomato, and garlic trio adding so much flavaaaa).
Time to get to work and then I’m off to another Moksha hot yoga class at lunchtime. Ange took me to my first hot yoga class on the weekend and I loved it. Many of you have been telling me for a long time now that a class is so different from a DVD and I must say you are 100% right! I will give a recap of my experience on the blog shortly.
Have a great day 
Do the cashews have to be soaked?
This meal was incredible!
I did make a few adjustments however; I sautéed the garlic and pureed it with the rest of the sauce, and instead of leaving the fresh basil whole, I pureed it as well! In addition, I added mushrooms! Absolutely phenomenal!
This is a wonderful sauce. An additional idea: use it on yellow squash pasta for a healthier and oh- so-delicious dish! I found a great little gadget made by Gefu. It looks like a little black hourglass and makes yellow squash into fettuccine – magnifico.
Steam it in a skillet with a little water, then finish it with a little olive oil. Add Angela’s sauce (and you can even cheat and make it with a little canned tomato sauce), top with basil and surround it with halved cherry tomatoes. My guests could not believe it was not pasta. Don’t overdo cooking it or it will not be al dente. Its really fun to make!
Thanks again Angela, for all your great recipes!!!
I have been making this for over a year and I love it! My husband loves it too, and the word “vegan” usually scares him away. It also freezes really well so I usually make a double batch and freeze half of it before I put in the basil.
I love this recipe and make it at least once a fortnight if not more. I started with the exact method described but after having it a few times I’ve adapted it by adding chopped mushrooms after frying the garlic, plus nutritional yeast (just under 1/4 cup) and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, plus 1/2 tsp of chipotle when I have it. It’s one of our favorite meals, thanks so much for sharing this recipe! ❤️
Do you soak the cashews before using them in this recipe?
Just made this for brunch (what?!), and it’s so delicious! I may add a tablespoon of vodka next time for a vodka cream sauce. I used to love that stuff, but have never found a vegan substitute.
Mhhhh, sooo creamy and good! :) Thank you for the recipe!
Just made this tonight – wow. So delicious. Will be making again for sure.
This was DELICIOUS! Even my carnivorous and turn-up-your-nose-at-veganism said it was good and he scarfed it down! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Joy, I’m happy to hear the pasta was a hit! :)
Hi Angela!
I made this recipe from your book and LOVED it! Thank you! I’ve made it 2-3 times already. Tonight we enjoyed it with a mix of whole wheat pasta and zucchini noodles. Thank you!!
Forgot to mention. But in case anyone is wondering – I doubled the recipe and it came out great. Even though I doubled the recipe I kept the cashews to 1/2cup and the sauce was still very creamy.
Made this for dinner yesterday for the family. Overall it took me an hour or so to finish it up, but mostly just waiting for the pasta to cook (we also made a Caesar salad and garlic bread, which paired great!). The sauce was amazing!! It was a hit for my parents who both Latinos who love their carne asada. Not so much for my older sis who hates tomato tho. But she did enjoy the tuna free tuna salad I made a while back! Will definitely be making this again! Maybe even prep the sauce a day ahead so I could just focus on the pasta! Love your blog, your recipes, and your beautiful life!! Keep the goodness coming :D
This was wonderful!
Instead of raw cashews I used raw cashew butter. I happen to be on vacation at an airbnb. The place has a blender but it looked like it was from the 80s and I doubted it’s ability to blend the cashews into creaminess. Used 1/3 of a cup, and put it into the blender with the tomatoes. Worked like a charm. Also, I say this as a non-vegan who is lactose intolerant… I splurge and eat cheese every once in awhile so I definitely remember what it’s like, and this gets really close to a real tomato cream sauce. Loved it.
It’s great to hear that sub worked out so well, Audrey. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!
This looks wonderful. I will definitely make this tomato pasta next day and it is the best recipe for breakfast and evening snacks. This is one of my favorite and I plan on making it the next time.
Thank you!
Fast food at its best! Healthy, quick, delicious, and vegan. What more could I ask?
Absolutely amazing thank you!! My omni bf loves this as much as I do. I do have one question though. If adding wine, red or white?
Hey, I think it depends on your taste! My thought is that a red wine might pair nicely with the tomato flavours. This source seems to say medium-bodied red wine pairs well with tomato-based pasta. Let us know if you try anything out!
I just tried this delicious recipe. Made a couple of *minor* adjustments to suit my family. I pureed the basil leaves with the rest of the sauce because anything green, no matter the size, might call attention to how healthy this sauce is–>resulting in one teen’s mutiny. That worked well. Second, we added Cayenne pepper to taste. Thank you for this recipe!!!
This is a real winner. I just made it. I only used half of the salt but it is so yummy I could eat it all and not even tell hubby that I made it. But I won’t. I’ll be making this often. Can’t believe it’s vegan. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Hey Melissa, I’m so happy you enjoyed this pasta so much! Thanks for letting me know. I hope you enjoy it again soon!
This is perfect as written. I made it last night and it is so quick. The only thing I would suggest is to double up on the sauce. I wanted seconds and had to make another batch.
Oh good call on doubling the sauce. I’m so happy you loved it!
Oh and I used red wine instead of water. Great flavour!
ohhh good call on the wine :)
Really delicious sauce! Thank you for sharing.
I doubled it for my family of 4. I was missing a couple of tomatoes so I substituted extra water, tomato paste and about 2 Tbs of marinara. I also only had toasted cashews, so I soaked them in warm water for about 30 min before blending them. It turned out great. Kid approved. Very simple and great flavor.